New patients at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Indianapolis had to wait an average of 42 days for an appointment — triple the VA's 14-day goal.

That makes Indianapolis' Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center the 13th worst of the 140 VA medical centers across the country in terms of wait times.

Nearly three out of four veterans had to wait longer than two weeks to receive care.

"Forty-two days for an appointment is far too long. It could mean the difference between life and death," said Dan Dellinger, national commander of the American Legion, a veterans service organization headquartered in Indianapolis.

The information on wait times was obtained from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs through a Freedom of Information Act request filed by The Star's sister publication, USA TODAY.

The data for Indianapolis includes 2,640 new patient visits during a six-month period that began Oct. 1. Nearly 2,000 of those patients had to wait longer than two weeks for an appointment.

Julie Webb, a spokeswoman for the Indianapolis VA medical center, said hospital officials are working to improve the wait times.

"Just like every other VA, we are looking at ways to create additional capacity," she said.

The facility is seeking to fill vacant positions for primary care physicians and is working with current physicians to extend hours, she said. Patients with urgent medical needs can be seen more quickly by visiting the facility's emergency department or contacting the hospital's new patient coordinator.

Nationwide, more than 356,000 veterans sought out new medical care at 140 VA hospitals between Oct. 1 and March 31, the data shows. Of those, just two out of five saw a doctor within the target of 14 days. The average wait for an appointment is 27 days.

Those national numbers may grow far worse as the investigation into doctored wait times at VA hospitals continues.

The data includes figures at hospitals and health care centers that investigators say falsified their figures to make them appear far better than they actually are. Forty-two facilities, including ones in Phoenix and Hawaii, are under investigation for falsifying records.

Webb said the Indianapolis facility has not been notified of any investigation there.

The VA is under fire for long wait times and delayed care for scores of veterans who later died. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned on Friday as a result of the scandal.

Webb said the Indianapolis VA is not aware of any negative outcomes due to delayed care.

Wait times at Indiana's other VA center were slightly better than those in Indianapolis, but still below target. The VA Northern Indiana Health Care System in Fort Wayne and Marion took an average of 20.4 days to see new patients. Nearly 64 percent of new patients had to wait longer than two weeks for an appointment.

"We are in the process of diving into all the numbers in Northern Indiana," said U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Jimtown, a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. "It's a shame we're in this situation."